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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Hi All </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Below is an ACTU media release on based
on the release of figures by the Office of the Employment Advocate regarding
the content of AWAs that have been registered following the enactment of WorkChoices.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Chris</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
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color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>ACTU Media Release 30 May 2006 <br>
<br>
A senior Government official has confirmed that penalty rates, shift allowances
and annual leave loading for employees have been abolished in a majority of new
individual contracts (AWAs) registered under the Howard Government's new IR
laws - leaving employees thousands of dollars worse off than they would be
under an award, says the ACTU. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Commenting on the admission by the Head
of the Fed Govt's Office of the Employment Advocate (OEA) Peter McIlwain before
a Senate Estimates Committee, ACTU Policy Co-ordinator George Wright said
today: <br>
"Despite a $55 million advertising campaign by the Howard <br>
Government promising to protect award conditions, a senior <br>
Government official has now admitted that every AWA workplace <br>
agreement lodged under the new IR laws has dropped at least one <br>
protected award condition. <br>
<br>
Working families are struggling to keep their heads above water and with steep
rises in petrol and other basic household costs the last thing that need is a
pay cut under the Howard Government's new IR laws," said Mr Wright. <br>
<br>
As Head of the Office of the Employment Advocate Mr McIlwain is responsible for
scrutinizing the content of workplace agreements. He has told a Senate
Estimates Committee: </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>* Annual leave loading has been erased in
64 per cent of Australian Workplace Agreements lodged under the new laws <br>
* Penalty rates have disappeared in 63 per cent <br>
* Shift allowances have been removed in 52 per cent of agreements <br>
* 16 per cent of agreements have dropped all award conditions - replacing them
with just the Government's five minimum conditions <br>
* 40 per cent of the agreements have dropped gazetted public holidays <br>
* 31 per cent of agreements modified overtime loading, with 29 per cent
changing rest breaks and 27 per cent altering public holiday payments <br>
* More than one in five new workplace agreements (22%) contains no pay
increases over the life of the agreement. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Mr Wright said: "Already we are
seeing large numbers of hard working Australians suffering a cut in their take
home pay and the loss of important working conditions. Penalty rates, shift
allowances, leave loading, rest breaks and public holidays are all getting the
chop as employers use the new IR laws to axe award entitlements." <br>
<br>
Union-provided training banned </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>In a separate admission to the Senate
Estimates Committee today (30 May), the Government's Employment Advocate Peter McIlwain
confirmed that any leave to attend union-provided training is prohibited in workplace
agreements under the Government's new industrial laws. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>"Leave to attend training, provided
by a trade union, however described, is prohibited as per the
regulations," Mr McIlwain is reported as saying in Estimates today. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Mr Wright said, "Unions are worried
that the Government's ban on union training could lead to an increase in
accidents and deaths in the mining and other industries." <br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Thirty-eight </span></font><font size=2
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>Beaconsfield</span></font><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> miners, including
members of the rescue team attending a reception at Parliament House, yesterday
called on the Government to remove the ban on union health and safety training.</span></font></p>
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